Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club was recently named the 2023 Tennis Club of the Year by the USTA San Diego Chapter.
“It’s a huge congratulations to everyone in our tennis club,” Rancho Santa Fe association director Christy Whalen said, acknowledging in particular tennis club general manager John Chanfreau. “John joined us about two and a half years ago and anyone who has been at the club recently can feel the vitality and just the energy and the skills and the talent he brought to the club.”
Established in 1962, the Association’s Tennis Club facilities on the golf course campus include two clay courts, nine hard courts and four dedicated pickleball courts for all levels of competition and skill. Chanfreau said it was definitely a very special thing to be recognized by the USTA in San Diego County as they continue to build a fantastic club for their members.
Stacey Pennington, Vice President of the Rancho Santa Fe Tennis Club Board of Directors, is one member who has been happily engrossed in the club’s excitement over the past two years. She and her family joined the club in 2019 and their enthusiasm for tennis as a fun and healthy outlet has grown during the pandemic.
“It has been a wonderful part of our lives. My eldest son was able to find out how much he loved tennis and I became completely obsessed with it,” said Pennington, who found herself attending clinics once or twice a week, becoming addicted to adventure and adventure. journey to improve as a player. “The community is just amazing, the people are wonderful.”
She and her husband have become super involved with the club and she was elected to the board last year, serving first as secretary and now as vice president.
It’s been a busy and successful year for the club. The junior program is strong and on the adult side, the USTA Women’s 3.0 team won the Southern California Sectionals this spring.
The club hosted frequent social events for members and gave back through events such as Second Serve Charity Day, benefiting underprivileged youth with lightly used tennis equipment and Pickle the Cure to support Curebound, an organization that invests funds in innovative cancer research projects.
This year, the club was thrilled to host its second annual Rancho Santa Fe Open, a highly successful USTA Women’s Tour event. The club was also a stop on the SoCal Pro Circuit, two events exposing the community to world-class tennis.
In July, the Rancho Santa Fe Association Board of Directors approved a $150,000 pavilion refresh that included interior and exterior wood stains, updated lighting, new living room furniture, and an upgrade. level of the kitchen which is almost complete: “It’s a really nice building and now I feel like it’s an even better showcase for everyone to enjoy,” said Pennington.
The tennis club hopes to display a ‘Club of the Year’ banner soon and are expected to continue celebrating this achievement over the coming months.
“It’s very, very exciting and so deserved. It’s really the result of the effort of the whole team,” said Pennington. “We have the most amazing staff and pros around and they truly are the heart and soul of the club.”
The next social event to come will be the annual RSF Tennis Club Holiday Party, taking place on Saturday, December 17 at 6 p.m.